In a move that immediately angered business and development interests, Los Angeles officials declared Thursday that only a fraction of industrial land in downtown would be opened to residential and commercial uses, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The joint directive by the city’s planning department and redevelopment agency — supported by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — would preserve about 2,633 acres of land zoned for industry while opening 261 acres to residential development.
Many downtown advocates and business interests had hoped for more acreage.
They want the city to begin aggressively rezoning industrial land.
Two City Council members quickly threatened to ignore the directive and approve exceptions that would continue the expansion of residential projects.
Those opposed to the directive wanted to see Los Angeles officials follow the lead of those in other large cities — such as San Francisco; Portland, Ore.; and Vancouver, Canada — that in recent years have transformed such lands into thriving urban neighborhoods.
Much of Los Angeles’ downtown industrial region is coveted because of its price.
Land costs elsewhere have escalated as parts of downtown have been gentrified in recent years, leading some developers to begin looking to the industrial area along the eastern edge of downtown.
